Christmas Special: Kanda's fun holiday
by banshee-hime
Summary: It is Christmas at the Order and Lenalee Lee is a woman on a mission: make it a Christmas for everyone to remember. Kanda attempts to bear through another one of his fellow Exorcist's cheery holidays. Lavi enjoys his pranking a bit too much. The Science Department tries to make their holiday fun. Sasha remembers her Christmases at home. Voules-vous? spin-off, but can stand alone.


**Hello my friends!**

 **I wish all of you a merry Christmas!**

 **I am simply ecstatic about the new man anime! What about you guys?**

 **This one-shot is dedicated to karina, Dinosaurbones6 and Meni-sempai, for sticking with me for sooooo long! Thank you, guys!**

 **Anyways, I've really outdone myself at the length of it xD It's well over my usual chapter length ahahahah**

 **Some spoilers for the main story** _ **Voulez-vous?**_ **ahead, read at your own risk and enjoy!**

The air was crisp, dry and icy, just how she liked it. It was morning, and the sun had barely peeked over the horizon, lighting up the rocky outside of the Order and showing the rather ordinary sight. The grass, which was rather scarce on the cliff by the main gate, was lit up with morning dew which was sure to turn to frost in the low temperature. It almost looked blue, rather than green in the early morning rays.

Sasha's breath fogged as she pulled her head back into the warm room of the Order. She closed the bathroom window and lowered the seat of the toilet, sitting down to do her business. Her thoughts wandered once more to the low temperature outside. She liked those days. The mornings when you could smell winter. It was crisp, icy and it hurt your nose on the inside with its arrival. And it was utterly beautiful.

Though, she did wish for some snow. They had always had snow back home. As soon as summer was over, it would get cold and then, after a mere month of slowly cooling weather, it would be winter wonderland. Sasha loved snow. She loved to get up early in the winter and then see a patch of untouched snow, glittering like jewels, just waiting for her to jump in.

The young woman stood up from the toilet, tidying up and putting her clothes back on. She turned to the toilet, reading the instructions on the buttons. She flushed. To say that she was still amazed at some of the things which the Science Department thought of and made into reality was an understatement. Just last week, they had managed to construct her some quite impressive technology, improving the 'lighter' which she had brought to the Order.

Sasha washed her hands, looking at herself in the mirror. Her hair was longer, loose, and it had grown even darker than before. When she was young, it used to be almost blonde. Now, it was leaning further towards red. Well, not red like Lavi, a rather mischievous and interesting member of the Order, but still, definitely not strawberry blonde.

She splashed the cool water from the faucet onto her face and dried it with one of the navy towels that were perfectly positioned next to the sink. Well, she wasn't going to arrange it back. She placed it on the drying rack, the pipes warm from the heating which ran throughout the whole building. Then, Sasha gave a smile to her reflection and headed out of the bathroom.

She placed her hand gently on the doorknob, slowly pushing to avoid making a sound. The door slid soundlessly towards the inside and she walked into the dimly lit room. The early morning light was barely peeking through the navy curtains which were pulled shut all the way. But, she could see a shape moving about in the dark.

Sasha leaned on the doorway, enjoying the sight of a shirtless Kanda wandering about, his hair loose. He was obviously trying to find something on the floor, which gave her a rather nice view of his backside and rippling back muscles. Now, he was a real treat. Kanda was not well-built and overly muscular, like the _strong_ gentlemen which the girls from the brothel had liked. No, he was lean, sinewy and tall, a combination which Sasha had always been weak towards. Not to mention his hair.

Now, his hair was another topic. It wasn't pitch-black, like most of the Asians whom Sasha had seen. It somehow shined towards an unusual navy color, almost blue. It was long, silky and usually got into his face during a fight. Now, she wouldn't mention his sword. Mugen was a thing that greatly attracted Sasha to the samurai before her, and whenever she thought about the many fights that she had seen him in, she got a little hot and bothered.

But, she supposed that overall, she loved his eyes the best. As much as he wanted to keep silent, his gaze spoke volumes. They were dark, mysterious and often betrayed his kindness. Sasha had found herself using that to decipher his intentions on more than one occasion. Well, he was a right handsome fellow, she smiled, watching.

Kanda straightened, obviously having found the item that he had been looking for (a sock) and pulled it on while standing. Sasha's smile turned into a smirk and she walked forward, carefully, silently, until she was just behind the samurai. As he straightened once more, almost a head taller than her, she touched his back gently, right where his trapezius was flexing with the move.

Kanda jumped a bit, letting out a surprised noise (not a manly shriek, because Kanda did _not_ shriek) and spun around in an instant, cursing himself for teaching Sasha how to better conceal her presence. He let out a sigh of relief, after he saw that it was only her, but it was quickly substituted by anger. Her fingers danced innocently across the bare skin of his chest, moving his hair behind his shoulders. She was smirking at him. Undoubtedly, she had been paying attention to his lectures just so she could do this at some point.

"What are you doing here?" He growled, threatening.

Sasha kept smiling, as if nothing was wrong. Her fingers traced his pectoralis muscle on each side, with perfect symmetry. Then, they wandered lower, barely touching, gently caressing. She wasn't even looking down, and her hands were in perfect sync. Kanda shivered a bit, his ears immediately growing hot in embarrassment.

"The showers are very crowded, and you have your own bathroom." She said flippantly, as if it was normal to barge into someone else's room in the odd hours of the morning.

"It's four in the morning." Kanda pushed through his teeth, just as Sasha's finger's brushed under his navel, ever so gently. He was still locked in her gaze, not willing to give up the staring competition. He didn't like it when she won. And, she usually won.

"Very keen observational skills, Samurai-dono." Sasha's voice was still as flippant as before, but Kanda could see it in her eyes. She was just as affected by his close proximity as he was by hers. But, he wasn't in the mood for games. Today, he had no patience for her. Today was the 24th of December. Today was the day when he ran away from everyone and avoided the other Order members ( _especially_ Lenalee) as if they had he plague.

He could _not_ deal with Sasha at the moment.

Kanda grabbed Sasha's hands, holding them in a strong grip at the wrists. "Get out." He told her, his tone icy. She smiled even wider, pointedly looking at her delicate wrists. He wasn't hurting her. He had never used violence against her. He had never seriously swung Mugen at her. He was always careful. Always treating her as if she would break at the smallest push. Yet, she wished that he wouldn't. She wanted to see another side of him. A wild side. One without discipline. Without control. She wanted him to lose it. To lose it because of her.

She was a selfish woman.

Kanda let go of her hands, allowing her to leave. Yet, he couldn't help his gaze which wondered across her form as she was heading for the door. Her nightgown was see-through, leaving little to the imagination, but he found himself even more bothered than he had been back then, in the brothel, when he had seen her naked. She was going to make him go mad.

Kanda couldn't tear his eyes away from the pale skin, the small waist, the subtle widening at the hips, the nicely formed legs and behind. He couldn't help it. He knew that she knew what she was doing. She wasn't swaying her hips like that around anyone else. And, while it made him happy, that she wasn't interested in anyone but him, it also made him mad, because she kept teasing him. She never did anything forward. Just subtle flirtation. He was going to kill her. Or kiss her. He felt like doing both.

"Do I have something on my arse?" Sasha asked, smirking as pretended to look at her behind as well. Kanda growled, going to her and opening the door in one strong movement. He pushed her out, much gentler than she had anticipated.

"You have nothing on your ass, which is the problem." He growled out, slamming the door closed in an attempt to save his dignity. But, considering how red his neck and ears were, there was none that he could salvage. Her merry laughter rang from outside his door, and then he heard her lean against the surface, whispering just loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't worry, I saw something that I liked very much, as well." And she was off, giggling down the corridor.

1-0

* * *

"No." Kanda growled, his mood getting worse by the second.

First, he gets Sasha in his bathroom which gets him overly frustrated and forces him to take a cold shower. Again. Then, he goes to get soba, only to find out that Jerry is only making Christmas themed things, as per the Supervisor's request. No doubt, Lenalee had had something to do with that. Next, while he is eating his breakfast (eggs and bacon in shapes of Christmas trees with greens all around) he is joined by the _'gang'_.

He has to listen to Allen and Lenalee make plans, while the Stupid Rabbit explains to the vampire-Exorcist all about their Order traditions. He wants to simply throw the little Christmas tree bacon in their faces and then follow through with Mugen's sharp edge, but he can't. His Mugen is being repaired because he had broken it. Again.

So, when Lenalee had come to find him and rope him into helping with decorations, Kanda drew the line. He had failed to evade her. She was the instigator. The evil. The menace. The one to evade like the plague. But, he had failed.

"Please, Kanda!" Lenalee put her puppy eyes on full force, and Kanda knew what was going to happen next. He was going to give in and go help her with whatever she wanted help with. This was why he avoided her on Christmas Day. Lenalee loved Christmas. Heck, it was a family holiday. She _loved_ all the family holidays. And Kanda had been caught in her web of evil jingle bells, twinkling lights and mistletoe. "I promise that it will be just for the morning, and then you can go train in the afternoon?"

"Tch." Kanda tried to leave, but the Chinese girl already had a grip on his hand, pulling him and chattering away.

"Of course, you will attend the party tonight?" She smiled up at him brightly and Kanda didn't dare answer. Of course, his answer was: _no._ But, it seemed like she had already decided for him. "You must! You could wear one of those suits that Onii-san got you? When he was trying to present you properly to the Supervisors, remember?"

Oh, he remembered. Kanda had gone a bit haywire during a mission, almost destroying a whole town. Well… Not even that much. I had just been the center, a couple of fountains, ten two-story buildings and a dozen or so houses. He really didn't understand what the fuss had been about. It was just a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Besides, the Supervisor did more damage with his Komurin machines. But, apparently, he had destroyed some rich noble's vacation house in the process, causing him to get suspended from duty. He had needed to be presented to the other Supervisors and the Inspector and to convince them that he wasn't a violent person, that it had been an accident. That had gone very well. He hadn't even used Mugen that much.

"I'm not wearing that thing." Kanda growled, but Lenalee wasn't listening, as usual. She dragged him into the cafeteria, which had been transformed since their breakfast a couple of hours ago.

The long tables which usually stood in the middle had been pushed to the sides of the room, now covered in decorated tablecloths. When Kanda squinted, he was able to make out tiny Christmas motifs on each one. Trees, decorations, presents, little Santa Clauses. It was all very colorful. All too colorful for him.

He could smell something delicious coming from Jerry's kitchen, signaling that the amazing cook was working overtime to make Lenalee's fantasies possible. Kanda felt his stomach rumble. He had given up on his breakfast after the company which had joined him. He wanted some soba.

"Here we are." Lenalee smiled, thrusting a notepad into Kanda's hands. His eyes flitted across the page, and he frowned. It was not one thing. It was a list. And, considering how peculiar Lenalee got during Christmas holidays, he would be busy way past the afternoon, at the rate she was going. "Considering how you are, Kanda, I put you in charge of the team." She was smiling. _She_ was _smiling_. Kanda suppressed his initial response, which was something along with the lines of ' _go to Hell_ '. That never went well with Lenalee.

"Team?" He merely asked, his lack of enthusiasm painfully obvious. Lenalee nodded, gesturing towards the corner where a fairly familiar group of people was standing, chatting and drinking some kind of beverage. Kanda didn't even _want_ to know, which said something. He was usually a fairly nosy person, despite his stoic personality. He liked to _know_ things. Information was power, after all.

"Just try, ok?" Lenalee asked, her eyes turning a bit sad, causing alarm bells to go off in Kanda's head. He could deal with Akumas, with Noah, with the Beansprout and the Stupid Rabbit, but he _couldn't_ deal with Lenalee crying. It was a weak spot, one that he hid carefully, but it was a weak spot. "I promise that it will be worth it. Besides, don't you want Sasha-san to have a good first Christmas at the Order?"

The glare that Kanda managed could've sent the bravest of men running. However, Lenalee simply led him towards the small, merry group with a gentle hand on his sleeve. And he didn't say no. Kanda assessed the damage that he would be sustaining in the span of the next few hours.

Allen Walker. Beansprout. Annoying, overly self-righteous Exorcist who thought that everyone should and _could_ be saved. He pissed Kanda off in the matter of seconds, considering that the mere sight of his white hair sent the samurai reeling. Defense plan: stay away from him.

Benjamin the Useless Finder. Not as annoying. He had been on enough missions with Kanda to know precisely when to shut up and remove himself from the vicinity of Mugen. The Finder seemed mildly intoxicated, indicating that he would probably be a tad more annoying than usual. Kanda rued the day the man had stopped being afraid of him. Defense plan: none, not needed.

Miranda Lotto. The Squeaky Tanuki woman. Very annoying. Squeaky, jumpy and generally disoriented. Kanda hadn't had many opportunities to interact with her and he didn't want to. She was way too jumpy, always shrieking about one thing or another. The only upside was that the woman had obviously heard of his reputation from the other members of the Order. She usually stayed away. Defense plan: glare, she will do the rest herself.

Marie Noise. Salvation. Kanda felt a mental barrier that held his rage at bay strengthen at the familiar face. Marie had returned to the Order. Kanda was safe. The soft-spoken, kind and very team-oriented man would no doubt act as a buffer between the samurai and the other team members. Defense plan: Befriend.

"Hey." Lenalee greeted, taking the offered cup from Allen. Kanda simply glared at him when the Exorcist tried to hand him a drink as well. "So, Kanda will be working with you." The Chinese Exorcist exclaimed, causing a myriad of reactions to appear through the small group. "He has the list of all the things that should be done. Good luck!" And Lenalee then chugged down her drink, skipping off to undoubtedly rope some other unsuspecting Order member into involuntary work.

"Shall we?" Kanda smirked, taking in the chill that passed the group at his words. Maybe he was going to enjoy this.

* * *

It was a couple of hours, and arguments, later that Kanda managed to get his dismissal. Apparently, Lenalee wasn't amused by the number of times that he had managed to start a fight with Allen. So, the samurai joyfully (well, as joyfully as he could manage) abandoned his former duties and acquired new ones, which he preferred over the last ones. He was given another list by the Chinese Exorcist and directed to go and find all of those items and bring them into the cafeteria.

As Kanda was leaving the scene of chaos, carrying some stacked empty boxes, he saw Johnny Gill and Tup Dop tying something to the ceiling while grinning like mad. He brushed it off as another one of their shenanigans, not really wanting to be involved in it. It was common knowledge that the Science Department usually made something stupid during holiday celebrations. Last Valentine, it had been a compatibility machine. Easter, it had been numerous bunnies which carried eggs left and right, handing them out. Undoubtedly, this Christmas, it was going to be something just as stupid.

On his way to the storage, all the way on the first floor, where the living quarters are, Kanda came by a curious sight. Heck, he had smelled her before he had seen her. Sasha was sitting in a small space which could be barely called a window seat, a book in her lap. However, she wasn't reading it, rather, she was looking out the glass, her eyes unfocused.

Kanda took the moment to look her over in the silence of the hall. She hadn't noticed his presence due to his light steps, apparently. He almost sighed. The samurai had taught her better. He had told her to always be aware of her surroundings, even to the lightest of sounds and movements. Wearing an Exorcist coat meant being a beacon for an attack. Now that she had her own, she needed to be more cautious than before. She wasn't trying to lure men in anymore. She was a beacon for Akuma instead.

However, the young woman looked completely lost in thought. But, Kanda had to admit that he preferred her wearing the dress that she was now, rather than the revealing outfits that he had almost become used to during her time as a working girl. The woolen garment fell rather shapelessly to her knees, looking very comfortable and leaving everything to the imagination. But, Kanda didn't doubt that she had a corset under that thing. She always wore a corset.

"Woman." The samurai spoke, getting her attention easily. Sasha jumped in surprise, her book hitting the floor. Kanda neared her and watched as her hand flew to her heart, her fingers touching the spot gently. He couldn't help it. He was intrigued by the way she moved.

"You scared me!" She exclaimed. "How do you _always_ manage to sneak up on me?" Sasha almost whined, bending from her spot to grab her book. But, Kanda was faster. From her position on the window still, she was too high off the ground to pick it up anyways.

"It's because your guard is down." Kanda frowned and gave her the book. He noted the title in Russian as he did. "You're too careless." Their fingers brushed and electricity ran down the samurai's spine at the gentle skin to skin contact.

"You're mean, Samurai-dono." Sasha teased, her voice dropping an octave. She knew exactly what she was doing at it was getting on his nerves.

"Tch." Kanda replied, grabbing the box he had been carrying from the floor. "Read if you're going to read. Don't space out."

Sasha giggled, her melodic laughter ringing down the empty hallway. "Are you worried, Samurai-dono?" The woman smiled at him gently. "It looks cute on you. That kind of attitude."

Kanda's ears went completely red and he whirled around, gritting through his teeth. "I am not _cute._ " His face practically spelled instant murder, yet Sasha remained calmly smiling. She even went far as letting out a small giggle, which increased Kanda's rage. "Woman." The samurai let out a warning growl, now heading towards her.

"Yes?"

Kanda froze. She wanted him to react like that. She wanted him to be angry. She liked it. She thought that it was _cute_ when he got angry. No. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't give her the pleasure. He wouldn't lose.

"Tch." Kanda spun on his heel, leaving.

"Giving up?" He could hear the genuine disappointment in her voice. "Samurai-dono!" Now, she had jumped off her perch, calling after him. She really was disappointed. "Kanda!"

But, he just kept walking with a smirk. "Put some shoes on, or you'll catch a cold!" He shot back, not even turning.

1-1

* * *

By the time Kanda had dropped off the box he had been carrying and picked up the next round from the storage, Sasha was gone from her spot in the window. Truth be said, he was a little disappointed. It had been a while since she had come to the Order, yet, every time Kanda saw her, she was alone. It wasn't that he was worried. Not in the least. She used to be a whore, after all. She could be a real social butterfly when she wanted. Yet, she hadn't even taken to Lenalee. And, everyone was friends with Lenalee.

Kanda supposed that it didn't bother him that much that she didn't have any company. It bothered him more that he thought that she was unhappy at the Order. It had been his fault after all. Why she was now there. Sasha was a master at moving on. She would've forged a new life somewhere in no time. Yet, she had trusted him. So, it was his fault. He felt a sense of responsibility, he supposed, as he had brought her to the Order. And God knows that Kanda usually did _not_ bring people to the Order.

Kanda narrowed his eyes briefly when he entered the cafeteria, shielding his eyes from all the multicolored lights that were blinking everywhere. _Let's hope someone's epileptic_. He thought sardonically. Lenalee had outdone herself. The giant Christmas tree in the corner was shining with lights and numerous Christmas decorations, all in colors of red, green and white. There was a thin layer of fake snow covering it and its surroundings, giving the impression that it had been on the North Pole until recently. As usual, there were small baskets under the tree, each with a name for one of the numerous Order members.

Kanda, of course, thought that it was ridiculous (when he wasn't opening his own gifts in the solitary of his room). To give the numerous members of the Order a present each, a person would have to have the pay of a King and the endurance of that fictional bearded man in red. But, every year, like clockwork, on December 18th, Lenalee came to beg.

First, she would attempt to convince him. With numerous arguments she would tell him that he should get something for someone. The Finder from his last mission. Or the most recent addition to the Exorcist team. Or even her own brother, the Supervisor. Kanda, of course, never caved. And, as usual, Lenalee never asked for a present herself.

There was a second thing that she begged for every year, on December 18th, after all. Money. Considering the fact that there were over 200 members of the European Branch and that she got each of them a small something, either during the year or during Christmas shopping, she was always broke by December the 18th. So, Kanda, the ever generous Exorcist of the Order, lent her some money which she would pay back during the next year. He didn't mind. He didn't use that much of his salary, after all. Sometimes, he would get himself some new cleaning supplies for Mugen. As they were pretty hard to get in Europe (Mugen was a traditional katana, don't forget that), the purchase would leave a large dent in his long line of zeros. Or, he would sometimes buy some clothes (when absolutely necessary).

"Kanda!" The ever familiar voice of the perky Chinese Exorcist called him over. "Pass those here." She pointed at the edge of the table, partially packed with food and partially covered in boxes and various ornaments. Kanda managed to squeeze his box in the middle, making sure that it wouldn't fall. He just needed a lecture about that. Then, the samurai glanced at Lenalee, all the way up on her ladder, and tried to make a break for it before she could thwart his escape. "Kanda!"

No luck. "Hn?" He turned his head, showing just how much he wanted to get out of this holiday cheer filled room.

"Here." Lenalee had reached the boxes and rummaged through quickly, taking something out. "Show your holiday spirit!" Before Kanda could react, and mind you, he had great reflexes, the girl had stuck something on his head. She had caught him by surprise, which he would never admit. "Ooooh! It suits you!"

"The Hell?" Kanda murmured, his hands flying up to feel the item on his head. It was tight and went from behind his left ear to his right in an arch. However, there was also something on top of it. Two long, symmetrical, fluffy things extended from the arch. In utter horror, Kanda realized that he had been gifted with two reindeer horns atop his head. No. _No._ This is where he drew the line. "Lenalee-" He began, his voice in between a threat and a tired sigh.

"Yes?" Her defenses were just as strong as he remembered. Her eyes were getting glossy with unshed tears. "You won't wear it? Not even for the holiday?" And, he was done.

"Tch." Kanda spun on his heel, leaving the room like a man possessed, the horns still on his head. For some reason, saying 'no' to Lenalee had always been a bit of trouble to him. If there was one thing that Kanda did _not_ know how to deal with, it was women crying. What do you even do then? If you speak, they cry more. If you walk away, they cry more. If you try and comfort them (in a very Kanda way, hence, not really comforting), they cry more. There was simply no winning in a situation like that. He had been ten when he had first met Lenalee, and he was still just as powerless against her.

So, Kanda choose the ever honorable 'retreat and regroup' strategy in those situations. As soon as he was outside of the cafeteria doorway, the samurai tore the holiday headband off his head, grunting in distaste as he finally got a good look at it. Hell would freeze over before he wore that.

"Kanda!" He heard Lenalee's voice and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second. _Damn that woman,_ he thought, _she's like a beast during holidays._ Escape the only thing on his mind, the samurai casually widened his footsteps, speeding up. No matter how determined Lenalee was, with her shorter legs, she would need to run to catch up to him. "Kand-Ah! What is this?"

The samurai turned around at her surprised yell, worried that she had gotten in trouble. Sure enough, Lenalee was at the cafeteria doorway, a yellow, round wall surrounding her and a scientist whom Kanda, surprisingly, knew by name, Johnny Gill. He stopped for a second, watching the commotion, but soon realized that Lenalee was safe, and distracted off of her path of 'holiday cheer for Kanda', giving him an opening to hightail out of there.

Kanda quickly found refuge in the training area's dōjō. There, he laid down a bottle of water and a towel on the side, along with the ridiculous reindeer horns. As he swung Mugen through the first couple of katas, his thoughts drifted.

Christmas. He had never truly bothered with either holidays or religion. And, he had especially never bothered with religious holidays. Even though Kanda served in the Black Order, a part of the Church, he wasn't a fanatic, like a lot of the Finders or Exorcists. There were those who clung to religion as tightly as they could, because, they needed to believe in the cause to put their lives on the line.

Kanda was different. He didn't really believe in God. After all, what kind of a merciful deity would allow someone to go through what he had? To Hell with God. He didn't need religion. He was strong enough that he didn't need a fictional figure to take care of him. He decided his own destiny. He didn't need God to guide him.

A clear sound of metal hitting metal rang throughout the silent dōjō. "Whoa!" Kanda's face formed into a frown on instinct.

"What do you want, Beansprout?" The samurai growled over their clashing Innocence, pushing forward. His anger had been fueled even further by the fact that he's gotten caught off-guard by Allen Walker, of all people. And, he'd been lecturing Sasha about spacing out some time ago.

"Lenalee sent me to find you." Allen deflected Kanda's attack with his left hand, attacking this time. "She says that you need to be ready for the party, Stupid Kanda."

"As if I'll be attending, Beansprout." The samurai returned both the verbal and physical pitch, pushing Allen back. The younger Exorcist wasn't giving in, though, his metal hand flexing slightly before he attacked once more.

"My name's Allen, Stupid Kanda." And all Hell broke loose, as usual.

* * *

It was hours later that Kanda was forced to sneak out of his room and into the silent hallway. After the lively party, which had lasted well into the night, at almost midnight, it was like a haunted house at the Order. Most members had either been carried to their rooms or had managed to take themselves there, impaired by the alcohol which the eggnog had been spiked with. Kanda had seen Lavi loitering suspiciously around the pitchers, so he had no doubts about the instigator.

All in all, the party had been bearable, which says something. Kanda had taken a short shower and then rushed to get ready, so that Lenalee wouldn't come find him, like last year. Back then, she had forced him into an outfit of her choosing, an incident which was never to be mentioned again. _Ever._ This time, he had simply been free to wear one of the numerous casual outfits which he owned, without the woman's influence. Of course, it had been Asian themed, as his teacher, General Tiedoll had been the one to choose most of Kanda's closet.

The samurai had spent the night sitting comfortably in a corner, drinking some eggnog (which had been forced into his hand by a partially drunk Benjamin) and warding off Lenalee whenever she would attempt to drag him to the dance floor. Apparently, the more the Chinese Exorcist drank, the more she was adamant to get Kanda to dance. At some point, the stoic samurai had been joined by Marie, and they had shared a little small-talk (more like, Marie had talked) until the blind Exorcist had gone to save Miranda, the Squeaky Tanuki woman, from yet another mishap.

All in all, Kanda had managed to last two hours, from seven until nine, and then proceeded to hide himself away in the safety of his room, where the cheer of the party couldn't reach him. He hadn't seen Sasha make an appearance, but, she was a person who liked to be fashionably late to those sorts of things, so he wasn't worried.

Kanda's stomach rumbled lowly, the sound ringing through the hallway, reminding him of the reason why he had left his room in the first place. The Exorcist hadn't really eaten much at the festivities, and now, he was really in the mood for something. _Any_ thing. It didn't even have to be soba. The hall was dark as he crept down the stairs and towards the cafeteria. It was dead quiet.

Then, the silence broke when he was two floors down, at the bath houses. Girlish giggling came from the direction of the girls' bath, making Kanda speed up, not really wanting to deal with drunken women. He quickly went down the next couple of staircases, taking him to the aftermath of the party. As soon as he entered the cafeteria's floor, he could see the telltale signs. There were colorful confetti, long and short, here and there, along with some fake snow, which had been carried out by the participants.

Kanda mostly managed to evade the long lines of confetti, which would've stuck to his boots and dragged behind him. He let out a 'tch' grunt when he failed to miss one red line, forcing him to backtrack and step on the annoying piece of paper to get rid of it. Even before he reached the doorway, he heard the soft sounds of the piano ringing out. It wasn't loud like the music from the party. But, Kanda could hear the slight skips in the sound, telling him that the sound was coming from a modified paleophone (one of the Science Department's numerous experiments on a way to play non-live music).

The samurai peeked around the corner, a curious sight meeting his eyes. There was a lone figure sitting on one of the long benches, swaying left and right gently. Kanda's sharp eyes made out the hair color right away, copper. But, he didn't need his sight to tell him who it was, he could smell it. The soft fragrance of daffodils hung in the air, as if welcoming him. He caved, taking in a deep breath, sucking in the scent which he had most definitely become addicted to.

He slowly walked into the room, making sure to be as silent as possible. It wasn't because of the absolutely serene picture in front of him. No. It was to test Sasha's awareness. She had been too reckless that afternoon. But, just as Kanda was walking (creeping) towards her figure, the young woman turned, surprising them both.

"Aaaah!" Sasha jumped, falling off of the wooden bench and onto the confetti covered floor. Kanda had simply twitched in surprise at her shout. He hadn't expected her to turn, much less to yell, and the least to fall. "Kanda! You bloody scared me!"

"Don't curse, woman. You're in a church." This caused her to laugh, as usual. A whore in a church. It was just as ridiculous as it sounded, but, it was reality. Kanda walked over, extending his hand to her. She grasped it, allowing him to easily hoist her off the floor and onto her feet. She was too skinny. Too light.

"Join me?" Sasha reassumed her position, digging back into the chicken and beans which were on her plate. At least she was eating now. At the pleasant smell of the, still warm, food, Kanda's stomach rumbled and he took a plate quickly, ears going red. Sasha smiled into her food, but didn't comment. Apparently, she was giving him a freebie.

As Kanda found something that he could eat (partially liked to eat), he glanced back at Sasha. In the dim lighting of the, almost burned out, candles he could see that she had actually changed and properly dressed herself for once. She was wearing a light blue dress which fell to her knees, showing off all the right places in a very subtle way. Her hair was brushed and styled in loose curls, a touch of makeup on her face. From a very, _very_ objective point of view Kanda decided that she looked rather pretty with the various colors of the Christmas lights dancing on her skin. But, the image was completely ruined as she grasped the chicken leg with her fingers, taking a piece into her mouth and pulling it with her teeth.

"No manners." Kanda murmured into his chin, sitting next to her with a full plate. Sasha looked up, quickly swallowing.

"What was that?" She asked, reaching with oily fingers for her wine glass and sipping some. When she let it go, there were five, absolutely perfect imprints of her fingertips left on the smooth surface. She was still looking at him curiously.

"Tch." He didn't dignify her with a response, instead taking a carefully sized bite of his meal. Sasha licked her fingers as he ate, studying him with rapt attention. After another minute of her popping each digit into her mouth, Kanda snapped and grabbed a napkin off the table, tossing it at her. "Ever heard of this mysterious item?"

She leered.

2-1

However, Sasha took the napkin off of her lap, where it had landed, and wiped her fingers completely clean. Minutes slowly passed as classical music played in the background, the modified paleophone skipping a little. Kanda ate and then looked for tea on the table. There was none, as he expected.

But, the young woman beside him held out a glass of wine (thankfully not her oil stained one) and he accepted, against better judgment. The liquid went down his throat easily, quenching his thirst, but it was bitter and dull. Kanda lowered the empty glass on the table, looking at the woman next to him. She was staring at him, yet, she wasn't.

He didn't like it.

Whenever her eyes were on him, they were focused. Those troublesome blue orbs could see everything, as if they were crystal balls themselves. She was always undressing him with her eyes, seeing him a bit too intimately for his liking. She knew him. Inside and out. Despite not really _knowing_ him. She related. She empathized. She never pitied.

But, her mind was somewhere far away now, despite the fact that her eyes were focused on his neck. Sasha stared at one single spot for a couple of more minutes, Kanda waiting for her to come back from wherever she had gone to. Suddenly, she slowly peeled her eyes off of the collar of his turtleneck and she trapped him into one of her deep, meaningful stares. He couldn't even look away.

"Kanda." No honorific. No samurai something. Nothing. God, he liked this Sasha. He preferred this Sasha. The one that didn't flirt. Didn't beat around the bush. Didn't hide behind a mask. The one that was so vulnerable. So hurt. So broken. Yet, so strong. So determined. He liked it when Sasha was honest. Then, he knew just how much she trusted him with. "Can you dance?"

There was a moment of silence where he stared at her dumbly, blinking. "What?" Kanda finally recovered enough to ask, his voice a bit deeper than usual from the shock. She smiled, standing.

"Come on. Just a little bit." Sasha reached the paleophone, switching the song. It was a familiar one for the samurai, a very famous orchestral piece, but played on a single piano.

"No." Kanda glared, his neck feeling a bit hot. His fingertips were kind of numb and he felt like he could jump around, weightless.

"Did you get me a present?" The samurai's eyes flitted over to the Christmas baskets, easily finding Sasha's. Of course he hadn't memorized its position. Her name was just written in bigger letters than others. It was empty. Kanda felt a pang of guilt build up in the pit of his stomach. He should've gotten her something. Anything. It would've made her happy. "Then one dance can be my present?"

She asked, taking his arms and pulling him up. Kanda begrudgingly stood, preparing to do what he usually did when Lenalee managed to make him 'dance': sway back and forth in a single spot. But, Sasha didn't allow it. When he tried to put his hands on her back, she pulled them off, causing him to snap.

"What now?" Kanda growled. "You wanted a dance, no?"

"A proper one." She clarified, placing his hands in the right positions, one at her waist and the other holding hers on the side. Then, she stepped one more step forward, bringing their chests together and causing Kanda's ears to burn into complete scarlet.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He cursed, using the hand at her waist to push her away, but Sasha was having none of it. She stepped back closer, her eyes closed and leaned onto his shoulder gently. There was no innuendo. No bottom line. For a moment, she wasn't seducing him, like usually. She was seeking comfort. And Kanda gave. He always gave her comfort. He wished that someone had done that for him. Given him, what he was giving her now. Before Tiedoll. Before Marie. Before Daisya.

He had sought comfort.

"Don't curse, you're in a church." Sasha murmured into his neck, her warm breath seeping through the turtleneck and onto his skin. Kanda couldn't suppress the shiver that went down his spine. He still couldn't feel his fingertips. "Now, a dance is an understanding between two people. Just like swordplay." She explained, her head rising so that she could trap him in her eyes once more. "Just listen to me and my body, and you will be leading soon enough."

Kanda grunted in recognition and Sasha counted the slow music tempo off, telling him which foot to use as she guided him. Forward, left, back, right, repeat. Then, she opened that small square which she had created with her steps, and they glided across the space of the cafeteria without much trouble.

He had never properly danced before. Lenalee was usually tipsy enough by the time she got him to get to the dance floor, to simply allow him to sway in one spot while she giggled. Yet, this was different. This was intimate. This was careful. This was broken. This was beautiful. This was Sasha. And Sasha was not Lenalee.

The years of sword fighting gave Kanda a certain grace along with fast reflexes and he quickly grasped the simple steps of the dance. Their third spin around the cafeteria, he changed direction, taking the lead. Sasha allowed a smile to slip on her face, their eyes never breaking contact. It was a genuine smile. An honest, open one. He had only seen it on a few occasions.

As the song came to an end, Kanda remembered all the twirling that Lavi usually did with Lenalee on the dance floor, taking Sasha's hand from its position on his shoulder, and spinning her out of his arms. She turned, her dress ballooning around her in soft waves. The curls of her hair falling against her pale, bare neck gently, caressing it. A gust of her scent hit him and Kanda took a deep breath before pulling the young woman back into his arms.

There was a small moment where they stood like that, close, just looking at each other, before another song started on the modified paleophone. Kanda let go of the young woman, heading towards the table once more.

"Thank you." Sasha told him, following. The samurai didn't reply and instead searched for a non-alcoholic beverage to consume. He found some juice near the large window of the cafeteria. Sasha joined him, pushing herself up on the ledge to sit. She began to rummage around, as if looking for something, causing Kanda to raise an eyebrow as he drank. Then, the former prostitute pulled out a small thing from her corset and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas, Kanda." She told him, causing him to begrudgingly accept the small thing.

It was made out of wood and oval shaped, barely the size of his thumb. There was a thin chain going from it, showing that it could be worn around the neck or tied to something. Sasha's slim fingers came into his field of vision, brushing against his calloused, long ones as she undid a small clasp on the side and opened the wooden pendant, showing the inside. On one side, there was an icon of a Saint and on the other words in a foreign language. Kanda looked at Sasha, waiting for an explanation and stubbornly ignoring the fact that every single spot touched by her skin was now on fire.

"It's Saint Nikolai." She whispered softly. Her voice was barely hearable over the music, but Kanda's sharp ears caught it. "We believed that he protects travelers." Sasha finally looked from the picture of the Saint and into his eyes. "So that it can protect you, like it protected me. It's one of the last things that I have from home."

There was another moment of silence, the piano playing in the background. Kanda didn't want the icon. He couldn't accept it. It was something from her home. Something precious. I had kept her safe. But, he couldn't say no. She was giving it to him. She was offering a part of herself. Something that she had never done before. She was exposed, like he had been.

Kanda closed the traveling icon, putting into the pocked of his pants. When he looked back at her, she was staring at him, almost thankfully, making him very uncomfortable. "Looks like you got the snow that you wanted." He told her, changing the topic.

Sasha whirled around, looking out the window as well. She smiled wide in child-like glee, her eyes following each big snowflake that landed on the glass. Kanda almost felt the change in the air. The somber mood that had been in the room once she had begun talking about her past was completely gone. Now, she was simply enamored with the snow outside.

There was another side of Sasha that he couldn't help but enjoy. If anyone asked, he would deny it to the death, as usual. But, the truth was, he had admitted to himself that he enjoyed that side of her. The child. Sasha, despite being too grown-up for her age, also had a very innocent, very childish side. It was the purest of emotions of genuine love and affection which she showed that fascinated Kanda, who looked at a very gray world, to no end.

Simple things, such as flowers, or snow, or books made Sasha happy. And no, not the kind of happiness that you show to everyone all the time. It was that kind of happiness which was like a secret. Well-kept and stroked inside a person. Only shown to the most precious and worthiest. Kanda, he had locked that part of him away. Maybe that was why he was so fascinated with her absolute, pure joy. Because he didn't remember how to feel like that. And she caused a ripple effect around her, making him feel a shade of her joy.

Sasha yawned. "It's late." Kanda said, moving away from the window. The young woman nodded, jumping off the seat and following him towards the exit. She caught his arm, looping hers through the open space and pressing herself to his side. The scent of daffodils floated to his nose, and the samurai had to push a smile down.

"This was a very good Christmas, don't you think, Kanda?"

But, before he could answer, a yellow sphere fell around them, trapping them inside. "What the Hell?" Kanda exclaimed, going to the layer and pressing his palm against it. It didn't budge. He swore under his breath in Japanese for breaking his Mugen. The yellow screen stood there, as if taunting him.

"What is this?" Sasha asked, standing in the same spot where she had let go of his arm. The former prostitute was looking around, searching for an exit. There was none. The yellow layer was all around them, in a perfect circle.

"We entered without problems." Kanda said, frowning and pushing left and right in an attempt to find the weak point of the layer. It was one of those ridiculous Science Department's experiments, he knew it. Now, he wished that he had stayed and seen how Lenalee and Johnny had gotten out of it. "Maybe it just stops people that leave?" Kanda asked, remembering how the Chinese Exorcist had gotten caught in her pursuit of him.

"I don't think so." Sasha giggled from behind him. The samurai turned, his eyes murderous. He was done with everything. He wanted to sleep and he wanted to slice up this stupid yellow layer. "I think it works only on pairs." Sasha explained after a moment of tense, murderous silence, pointing upwards.

Kanda looked, only to see, all the way up, on the high arch of the cafeteria door a bunch of green and white. He cussed once more. "Nothing to do but wait then." The samurai choose the least confetti filled space and sat down, leaning against the solid layer. "Wait and plan." He grinned evilly, imagining the carnage that would ensue upon his release.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Oh, for the love of God." She walked to the seated samurai, dropping to her knees and crawling towards him in a very determined way. "You are very melodramatic, you know that?" Kanda attempted to scoot back, away from the quickly approaching woman, but it was no use. She had him trapped. By the determined look on Sasha's face, he could tell that this wasn't going to end well. Not well at all. The young woman stopped a breath away from his face, suddenly smiling. "But it's very cute, I must admit."

And then, she kissed him.

It wasn't anything like he had expected. His first kiss (and last) had been with a very drunk Jiji, and the boy had had no say in that intimacy. But this, this was different.

Sasha's lips were soft and warm, they brushed against his so gently, once, twice, asking him to do something. But, Kanda was so shocked that he was pretty sure that his ears were a deep scarlet and that there was steam coming out of them.

Sasha's hand landed on his thigh, her gentle push, for support, a little too close to a very sensitive place. The samurai threw his hands to her shoulders then, holding her in place, just in case. Sasha pulled back a little, delivering only one more, very chaste kiss onto his lips, before completely moving back.

Kanda took one breath, looking at her, and the scent of daffodils sent him over the edge. All of those dreams of his pent up in his head, like a cup overflowing with water, causing his long fingers to slip up her shoulders, into her hair and up her neck, until he was holding her head gently, directing her towards him.

And then, he kissed her.

He truly didn't know what was doing, but Sasha seemed to know enough for both. Her free hand (which wasn't caressing his thigh in a very suggestive manner) went to his chest, then around his neck and tugged on his ponytail lightly, causing another bout of shivers to overcome him. His arm slid to her waist, pulling her closer. She was soft. Soft and warm. And she smelled so sweetly of daffodils.

Sasha's lips parted and she bent her head to the side, making him obey, learn, listen. Their teeth touched and Kanda took a breath straight from her. Then, their tongues met (more like, hers touched his) and he was pretty sure that he let out an embarrassing noise from deep within his throat. But, the young woman holding him never stopped caressing him, touching him, urging him on. Kanda realized, she had waited for this as long as he had. She had wished for it just as much as he. And why, in the world, hadn't they done it earlier?

They pulled apart, both short of breath, and the samurai left his eyes closed, simply feeling her against him, as she had somehow arrived to be completely pressed to his body. His ears were burning. Kanda opened his eyes after a moment, meeting Sasha's utterly happy blue ones. She was smiling, her lips somehow redder, reminding him of what they'd just done.

"Fuck." The samurai cursed, dropping his face to the nape of her neck, running away from those knowing eyes. The former prostitute hugged him to her, tugging on his ponytail lightly and sending another set of shivers through his form. She kissed the tip of his red ear, proof of just how embarrassed and how eager he was about this, whatever it was. She nipped him then, on the same spot, sending another round of shivers down his spine.

"Don't curse, you're in a church."

* * *

 **That's all folks!**

 **I'll be looking forward to your thoughts :D**

 **Fun fact: This was originally going to be a lemon, but I didn't want to go over 10k words xD**

* * *

X おまけ X

X Omake X

It was Christmas morning and Johnny Gill was sitting in his tiny cube of an office, which he shared with four other scientists. Luckily, they had been on Lavi's 'drink more than me' path, which meant that they were all, including the huge Tup, in bed, moaning and nursing a monster hangover. He was alone.

This meant that he already had a huge cup of coffee in front of him, no sugar, no cream. And it wasn't his first. The scientist grumbled as he sifted through the data from an experiment that they had done a couple of days ago. It had been delayed because of the grandiose Christmas preparations, and if he were being honest, he had forgotten most of the findings.

"I'm never drinking again." Johnny grumbled to himself. He pushed away from his desk, the new chair on wheels (his own invention), which was swaying and squeaking dangerously, taking him to the other side of the square room (more of a storage space, really), where the large database computer sat. It was, as most things at the Order, decades before its time.

Johnny shifted the icepack on his face so that it covered his swollen cheek better. He hadn't known that Komui could be so violate without his Komurin before. Sighing, the young scientist began typing on the virtual keyboard, opening the footage and plans from their _Christmas Mistletoe Miracle Action: Second Edition_. They had performed another one of their _Holiday Experiment Series_ in a way to cheer up the Exorcists and Finders during their small break.

It had been a specially programmed, almost unbreakable circular layer (the Science Department had learned that Kanda was strong when pissed off) which reacted upon identification of a male and female walking under the mistletoe. The only way to unlock the barrier without the code was with a kiss.

But, Johnny had miscalculated and gotten caught in the trap himself. With Lenalee. Thus, his swollen cheek.

He let out another sigh, remembering the gentle kiss that the Chinese Exorcist had given him, on his cheek, with a soft giggle. The video of the camera loaded onto the screen and Johnny played it. He laughed at different, strange couples, which had been caught by the sensor.

"00:15?" The scientist read the time, frowning. The party had been finished by then, all the guests gone. Curious, Johnny played the video. After the sensor triggered recording ended, he stayed there, staring at the screen, blushing. "W-w-w-what?!" He managed to squeak out.

 **Ok, now it's really over :P**


End file.
